How to Target Decision Makers to Book More Meetings

As salespeople, we know that it is all about finding the right people to sell to.

Your product or service won't see much traction if you're selling to the wrong person: a dog breeder won't buy a cat to breed.

Your prospects are specialized and have particular roles. Respect it by fitting your messaging to them and by targeting the right role.

Let's learn how!

A Decision Maker is the gatekeeper of final approvals and the ultimate authority in the purchasing process, they hold the key to success or failure for a SaaS salesperson seeking to book a meeting or secure a deal.

In a company where multiple stakeholders and intricate hierarchies can complicate the sales journey, the Decision Maker stands as the hope for SDRs.

Without them in your corner, you can kiss that commission goodbye.

As salespeople, the one we want to talk to and book the meetings with is the Decision Maker.

Sometimes we go through others, convincing them of the offer before arriving at the Decision Maker. These people are known as "Champions" because they champion your product or service to the Decision Maker.

Ultimately, however, you want to charm the Decision Maker specifically. And to do that, you need to book a meeting with them specifically, so long as they meet your Ideal Customer Profile.

If they're not a good fit, the sale won't go through.

Presumably, you have already done research when conducting your GTM strategy.

If you haven't, do not reach out just yet.

Assuming what the prospect you are targeting needs without conducting research is a huge mistake. You need to understand how your solution fits into your prospect's industry if you want to position yourself advantageously and sell.

If you cannot demonstrate your knowledge of the space you're in enough, your prospect simply won't trust you. And that Decision Maker will never agree to a discovery call or product demo.

Instead, take some time to do additional research into the ICP you're given.

Learn about the industry your product or service fits in. If it's a variety of industries, figure out how your product or service offers a solution across the board.

But keep it simple and clear whenever you interact with your prospect – do not promise too many solutions or have too many Call To Action (CTAs).

This will only serve to confuse and drive them away.

Remain focused and to the point throughout your outreach, demonstrating you have a full understanding of what you're selling and how it will make their life easier.

But while your product or service will make the lives of several prospects easier, you should not send them all the same message.

Messaging is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Different prospects will react differently.

It's impossible to always predict it with accuracy, but there are some clues as to who may react more positively than others.

A marketing executive is more likely to enjoy meme-related outreach than a CFO. Prospects of different generations may react differently to cold calling.

Going after everyone with the same approach and messaging will only make your job harder, not easier, as counterintuitive as you might think it is at first.

By personalizing your messaging just enough, you demonstrate that you understand the prospects and their specific needs.

Not simply those of the industry as a whole.

Segmenting your email campaigns based on role, generation, location, and industry are all ways to ensure success when interacting with prospects and Decision Makers.

And it helps keep your email healthy as well!

When targeting or interacting with Decision Makers, then, you do not want to limit yourself and your possibility to engage with them.

As we saw above, generations may respond differently depending on your sales channel or outreach strategy.

Never expect them to adjust to you, instead, adjust to them.

Airbnb famously went and looked for their prospects on competitor Craigslist.

They figured out where they already were and went to them.

You need to do the same.

Anything from LinkedIn courses to online events to a phone call can work. Simply keep trying new things that make sense based on your understanding of the ICP and the folks within it.

Decision Makers have a lot of responsibilities and tasks to complete.

You disrupt the flow of their day, no matter the approach you take. It is part of outreach through sales.

But how you disrupt that flow is important.

Pitch-slapping or going right into a pitch without considering your prospect's time or current situation will not get you a meeting.

It's more likely to negatively paint you and your entire company to them.

Instead, focus on building a relationship with your prospect.

Demonstrate you respect their time and are knowledgeable by inviting them to tell you about the difficulties they currently face.

Build a relationship with them over the problem they face that your company can solve.

Through this process, you will also finalize qualifying them to see if they're indeed a good match for your product or service.

And they will associate you and your company with a positive, sensitive encounter that demonstrated knowledge about the industry they're in, their role and responsibilities, and an interesting solution to existing problems.

Making the connection with a Decision Maker is incredibly important and incredibly difficult.

But it is not impossible.

We hope this blog provides you with some guidance to help you book more meetings with them.

If you want SDRs that know how to target decision-makers more efficiently, get in touch with us!